Amnesty: U.S., Europe shielding Israel over Gaza war crimes
In its annual report, the rights group accuses Israel of continually violating human rights in Gaza with its ongoing economic siege.
By Haaretz Service and News Agencies Tags: Goldstone Gaza report Israel news
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A cloud of smoke billows over Gaza after an Israel Defense Forces strike during the 2009 war. |
| Photo by: AP / Archive |
Amnesty International complained in its annual report released Thursday that the U.S. and members of the European Union had obstructed international justice by using their positions on the UN Security Council to shield Israel from accountability for war crimes allegedly committed during last year's Gaza war.
The rights group also accused Israel of continually violating human rights in the Gaza Strip. It cited Israel's ongoing economic blockade as violating international law, leaving Gaza residents without adequate food or water supplies
In its report, Amnesty lauded a United Nations commissioned report released last year by South African justice Richard Goldstone for highlighting Israeli violations during the war in Gaza. Goldstone's findings found both Israel and Hamas guilty of war crimes during the conflict.
"Israeli forces committed war crimes and other serious breaches of international law in the Gaza Strip during a 22-day military offensive codenamed Operation 'Cast Lead' that ended on 18 January (2009)," the rights group said.
"Among other things, they carried out indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks against civilians, targeted and killed medical staff, used Palestinian civilians as 'human shields', and indiscriminately fired white phosphorus over densely populated residential areas," it added. "More than 1,380 Palestinians, including over 330 children and hundreds of other civilians, were killed."
"In a display of counter political bias, the UN Human Rights Council, initially resolved to investigate only alleged Israeli violations," said the report. "To his credit, Judge Richard Goldstone, subsequently appointed to lead that investigation, insisted that the UN Fact-Finding Mission should examine alleged violations by both Israel and Hamas."
The group's report listed examples of what it said were war crimes committed by Israeli forces, but did not provide details of sources.
Amnesty's annual roundup of global human rights abuses urged members of the G-20 — a collection of major industrial countries and fast-growing developing countries — to set an example to the international community by signing up to the International Criminal Court.
The United States and others have refused to ratify the court's founding treaty partly because they fear the court could become a forum for politically motivated prosecutions of troops in unpopular wars like Iraq.
The U.S. State Department said in response to Amnesty's accusations that it "supports the need for accountability for any violations that may have occurred in relation to the Gaza conflict by any party."
"As we have said, the responsibility to address alleged abuses during the Gaza conflict lies with the Israelis and the Palestinians," the State Department said in a statement.
Israel earlier this year submitted a 46-page response to Goldstone's inquiry, which accused both Israel and Hamas of "grave breaches" of the fourth Geneva Convention.
In its report, Israel claimed its forces abided by international law throughout the war last year.
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Amnesty International is quite right. The unholy alliance of the US and Israel appears to be rather selective when it comes to the human rights of Islamic people, and their European sycophants are no better. Just ask the Afghans, Palestinians, Iraqis, etc etc etc.
Unfortunately, as long as the US continues to uncritically support Israel, it will never be held accountable for its crimes. It just shows that realpolitik and not justice, hide behind the West's foreign policy.
Everyone with the minimum amount of reasoning ability knows that the IDF's war crimes in Gaza and iSrael's continued ferocious repression f Arabs are equivalent to the worst atrocities of the Serbs' ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia and the South African apartheid regime's worst monstrosities against the majority population of that country. The initiative, the meaningful action on the part of Amnesty that people who respect themselves expect is that Amnesty finaly grows teeth to bite where it is now only barking after the criminal has left and is coming back for committing worse crimes.
certainly these people do not understand the nature of the conflict and the Hamas agenda to destroy Israel. instead demonize Israel while painting the islamists and terrorists and peace loving instead of cowards and murderers who hold to an evil ideology
yet they still decry Amnesty... Amazing how they willfully expose themselves as completely IGNORANT on what the report contains.
This article seriously borders on insane. Amnesty Intl. is a known anti-Israel entity. Why would you so treacherously continue to publicize their unfounded, unfair, anti-Israel/pro terrorist "findings." This is truly outrageous that we're still seeing Israel bashing in the case of the terrorist entity in Gaza.
the west who erected Israel, sustained her, supported & supplied her with everything, including the Nukes, and financed & covered (politically) her every war that had, always, resulted in massacres against Arabs!! what is new in this finding? I say, nothing we do not know, at least from the Arab side.
the establishment is ruled by you know "who" Is not going to last forever...
We always thought the U.S. stood behind justice and Human Rights. Maybe the U.S. should invade Gaza and liberate it from the Israelis.
Israel has a neighbouring territory controlled by an internationally recognised terrorist organisation. Much of the world thinks, oh well, that's their problem, we'll let them handle it. Then, when Israel does take action, everyone cries foul. It's easy, and bloody hypocritical to sit in London, and do nothing but criticize. How would England respond to Doorstep Terror?
Israel has a neighbouring territory controlled by an internationally recognised terrorist organisation. Much of the world thinks, oh well, that's their problem, we'll let them handle it. Then, when Israel does take action, everyone cries foul. It's easy, and bloody hypocritical to sit in London, and do nothing but criticize. How would England respond to Doorstep Terror?
What I fail to understand is that Israel is always the culprit; when will the world understand that if the territory of Israel consists of only 1/6 of 1% of all the Arab owned lands, why cant they see to the safe establishment of refugees elsewhere in the Middle East. When Israel strikes tunnels for her own safety; do the world want Israel to sit idly by and observe her destruction! Come on Obama&Co. get real and start punishing the real culprits.
What happens now? How can there be peace if there is no justice? And if this report is true in saying the U.S. and European allies are blocking justice how on Earth can their be peace? I fear only the worst is yet to come...
Bravo Haaretz for your unbiased stand you are truly a beacon of light for the dilusional state of Israel that extis today. The simple fact that you published this story in an unbiased manner shows that the people in your organisation stand for freedom and give people aroung the world hope. That there are still people in israel that believe in truth justice and democracy. Unlike the BBC, CNN FOX news just to name a few of the propaganda machines which seek to strip humanity of its basic rights to free press and information. I salute you and so do billions of people aroung the world well done
The problem I detect is that Israel is expected to abide by International Law, Geneva Conventions etc., while Hamas, Hezbollah etc are abiding by terrorist law. Using hospitals, mosques and schools as military buildings is not quite kosher.
The very first response will be "this is an anti-semetic" report accusing Israel for war crimes while "it was defending itself against terrorists". Such naive arguments are used to justify the killing and sieging of the people of Gaza shall not be tolerated. Those responsible, from any side, shall be held accountable about any form of violation. The "free, modern, civilized" world is now accused to shield Israel politically from being accountable to such violations which would only motivate "human rights violators" to continue their violations! This is not an anti-semetic report, this is a human right report, and if anyone has the least sense of humanity, he or she would reject what has happened and still happening in Gaza, otherwise we are all anti-human. I wonder if anyone would be angry to sue those who killed people and let them suffer!
for having the courage to report on the war crimes committed by the Israeli's. Because your organization is even handed in reporting abuses from around the world, from totalitarian as well as democratic countries, it is difficult to dismiss the findings as biased. More power to you and I hope you continue in your good work to bring these crimes to the attention of the world.
What Amnesty says about the accountability of the crimes of Richard Goldstone as aparthaid judge in South Africa? And how a report from a criminal has any value?
israel is clearly guilty of war crimes. it's a shame for anybody to protect people who have committed outrageous war crimes. those israelis responsible for all those acts of dissolutness must be brought to trial. and the present leaders are accountable for the blockade of gaza
Why stop at Gaza? Everything is Israel's fault from Darfur to Saudi beheadings, to the price of tea in China. If only Israel and the Jews would disappear everything would be right with the world - and Hamas could be left in peace to oppress women, hang homosexuals, kneecap Fatah loyalists, murder Christians, blow up UN summer camps, and render homeless innocent Arabs who built homes where Hamas wants to build more Mosques. Thanks goodness we have Amnesty International to at least start the process of righting the world;s wrongs and knowing exactly who to blame.
Oh stop your belly acking and start acting responsible for your actions with out crying wolf everytime thats all the international community asks of israel. If you want to be taken seriously then you should seriuosly start looking at why the internationsl community is pointing fingers at you. firstly your state was created on land that was well documented and legally belinged to another people. So what if you Torah said God promised it you 3000 years ago. That was then and God certainly isnt an estate agent. The fact that the indeginous people of that land are angry is becuase you are an occupying race Period. and until you give them back whhat it rightly theres and stop taking more by force and trating them like animals thats the repsoinse you will get. remember we're not stupid Israel has nuclear weapons and one of the most powerful armies in the world. So stop acting like the victim because that holocaust card just doesnt work no more. Look at shimon peres nobel peace prize winner, always using the holocaust card trying to gain sympathy and at the same time trying to seel weapons to apartied south africa. Doesnt it make you think that why is the whole saying we're in the wrong but only we seem to think we're right. Stop deying the truth and learn to live and overcome what you've created by making ammends with the poor people of Palestine.
Amnesty never says anything ,except ,lip service, about the atrocities by Hamas using human shields, women and children, using hospitals in Gaza to shoot at the IDF. Amnesty is an organization for the "defense of Arab terror"
before anyone pulls out the "but what about _____, they're so much worse!" card, please do us all a favor and read the whole report. http://thereport.amnesty.org/ shock and awe! israel, iran, AND HAMAS are all implicated in human rights abuses!
Amnesty is shielding war crimes committed by Hamas against Israel and the Palestinians. Pretty selective!
Just a link will suffice.... thx
Might help....just a suggestion
Could it be, that most politicians in the U.S. and Europe are through and through corrupt, while organizations like Amnesty and Human Rights Watch are not....??? Most probably that is indeed the main reason, for the "special treatment" that Israel enjoys on this planet, while ongoing Holocaust guilt may also still play a certain role when it comes to Europe..... Those "smart" politicians of course aren't capable of understanding, that it's exactly this kind of "special treatment" which will be a recipe for future disaster for Israel and the Jewish people in general. Actually as politicians, they should have the intelligence to understand that, it is almost as if they wouldn't care..... P.S. Ever wondered why it's always and exclusi- sively retired politicians (especially in the U.S.), who dare to speak out without fear on matters of the ME conflict....???
The only way to conclude Israel's behaviour in time of war is to compare it with the behaviour of,America,England,France, & Belgium. And I'm not talking about Germany,Darfur Cambodia,Pakistan Irak,Sudan Japan & Russia,etc. If such a comparison is not made,then the whole report of Amnesty is FALSE !.
What's the point? Goldstone, Amnesty, all great stuff in the name of justice and human rights, but then what?! If the US and members of the EU is blocking and vetoing any action that may be taken based on these reports, then what's the point of accountability. People ask why terrorists become terrorists, it's not about hate or fundamentalism, it's about a sense of injustice and double standards. If the world wants to hold Hezbollah, Syria, Iran, North Korea, etc accountable. Then hold Israel accountable too. Otherwise, I'll have a very hard time (as a self proclaimed moderate) to silence the "terrorist" who lives next door!
is that, israel is not allowed to defend itself agains the terrorists. Also, if you haven't already figured it out, Gold-digger-stone, is appeasing the leftist for his own success. he doesn't care about palestinians, israelis, warcrime nonsense. he is now up for promotion.
This report simply publicizes anti- Israel propaganda. It does not even have one counter- word from an Israeli official or supporter. The 'Haaretz' appears on the opening Newspage of Google and yet is another small step in the trampling on Israel which this newspaper specializes in.
Haaretz il have you know is the only thing that lts people on the outside world know that there are still people with some level of decency in Israel left. And maybe you should note that this was done by an international factfinding commision headed by non other than jutice Richard Goldstone who is regarded as one of the best in his field of work and is also a jewish zionist who daughter happens to live in israel. when your own people are telling you something maybe you should listen and stop looking for scapgoats.
The criminals - Israel, USA, France, Germany, Italy, Czechs, Polish, Dutch, etc. The pure - Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, Sudan, Iraq, Cambodia, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Cuba, Algeria, Russia, China, Syria, Sri Lanka, etc.
Most Israelis will complain that they shouldn't pick on us because there are others who are worse.
Nice one protobac. Here's my prediction, most "non-israeli" talkbackers will make an passionate and eloquent criticism of israel but make sure to ignore pesky details like like several years of rockets deliberately aimed at civilians (with little/no response), bombs in markets and cafes, alliance with those who desire to wipe out israel, decades of "etbach al yehud" etc. I hear your point that Israel should not brush these accusations aside by silly comparisons. Likewise most "non-israelis'" (presumably like yourself, protobac) could benefit from a little perspective...
So what are you say that you best of a bad bunch thats so messed up
Very selective memory of this highly compromised organization only recalls seeing white-robed Hamas members in Gaza gently flapping feathered wings overhead and strumming harps in harmony in a godly chorus while praying peacefully for the establishment of a Palestinian State and being downright puzzled over the aggressive infiltration of IDF forces into their territory for no apparent reason. However, the reality on the ground is that disproportionate IDF force for disproportionate Hamas hate helps keep Meshal's militants humble and teachable!
Of course droping pamplets , and making calls telling the citizens to flee, and defending yourself during urban warfare as Hamas attacks the IDF from residential communitys have nothing to do with it. No such reports were filed when the USA had to go door to door in Iraq to kill terrorists. Many citizens died during that attack. I guess because it is a jewish state it does not matter that Israel took precautions to get the citizens out of harms way. Just more anti semitism from a liberal lunatic fringe group.
Bombing civilians is a war crime regardless whether you tell them to flee or not, and the fact that people could not flee and that Israel was blocking the borders makes it even worse. That Israel is adamantly opposed to any kind of independent investigation (ie one not by the IDF) shows that it is aware that the conduct of the IDF was not legitimate. Here's a tip if you want ever feel the urge to spread unfounded lies in the future: If you checked out Amnesty's site you would find over 650 press releases and publications relating to Iraq, but I guess those don't count, eh? That Israeli media doesn't report on Amnesty's criticism of any other country doesn't mean Amnesty only criticises Israel.
there were 2 attempts at slandering Israel in press during Cast Lead war. Both ended with great shame on reporters. First time when they reported attack on UN school, which turned out used by Hamas to shoot mortars from amidst civilians. Second time when Israel bombed hotel in down town Gaza... only to have a countering video of Hamas shooting rockets from hotel windows. Your pathetic Anti - Semitism is a fodder that kills Arab people who saw Hamas commit crimes and report those in real time. These people were murdered in retaliation for revealing Hamas' crimes against own people in Cast Lead. Your are moron killing Arab people seeking freedom. No, you are not bombing them and you are not reported by Amnesty for any crimes against humanity. You just stand at the door while Hamas does its dirty work, to make sure no eyes are looking, wrong eyes... eyes that see.
Israel's existence stands on three legs: western support, foes (arabs) diligence and its own will to survive. It had its way on the three. The Western support had eclipsed and biased all the others.Arabs under regimes craeted by the west were effective backers of Israel. Israel is the only state above the law. Un decsions are ink on papaers. Arms of mass destruction, Israel has them all and plenty, nuclear among them. NPT is for the others, specially the like of Iran, North Korea (branded rough states or axis of evil). Israel continue to kill, blockade, humiliate and deprive Palestinians from their basic human rights. And on top of all that, Israel enjoys the services of Abbas and Co. So does it care about human rights?
do your diligence, you will find that the major oppressors of the gazans' are, hamas.